Street sweeper



ea. 6, 1 55 G. R. DEMPSTER ET AL 2,725,584

STREET SWEEPER 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1952 Gear Q9 RDempsi er Harry W Jew W,mm

ATTORNEKS' es. 6, 1955 ca. R. DEMPSTER ETAL 2, 8

STREET SWEEPER Filed Sept. 25, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I" q? 61 71 I INVENTORS George R @empsi'er Harry W Jones wvzw/mmwmwm ATTORNEKS Dec. 1955 5. R. DEMPSTER ETAL 5 STREET SWEEPER Filed Sept. 25, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTORS Q5 .77 Y6 Y9 61 George R. Denzpsfier Harry W Jew Wm, M m

ATTORNEYS nitc Sttes STREET SWEEPER Application September 25, 1952, Serial No. 311,521

6 Claims. (Cl. -84) This invention relates to street sweepers and more particularly to an improved self-propelled sweeper of the type disclosed and claimed in the prior application of George R. Dempster, Serial No. 265,650, filed January 9, 1952.

As pointed out in the aforesaid prior application, efficient collection and disposal of street sweepings is still a substantial problem in many large communities. Specially designed and constructed self-propelled sweepers have been developed which accumulate the sweepings in a container carried by the sweeper, but when such containers become loaded, either their contents are dumped onto the street in piles for subsequent collection, or the sweepers themselves are driven to a suitable dumping point and the container contents discharged there. The latter method of disposal of the sweepings usually requires a rather long haul, often amounting to several miles, and thus involves a substantial loss of sweeping time and a correspondingly decreased output per sweeper. Hence in many cases the practice is simply to dump the sweepings in piles on the street for later collection, in spite of the fact that this practice creates traffic obstructions and constitutes a hazard to sanitation and health.

The aforesaid prior application discloses an effective solution of the above mentioned problem in the form of a street sweeper capable of picking up and setting down one by one a series of individual detachable containers in which the sweepings are collected and stored, such containers eventually beingcarried away to the dumping point and there dumped by suitable transporting and dumping equipment such as that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,179,779. For these purposes it is advantageous to employ cooperating attaching means on the sweeper and each container of a type such that said means are automatically engaged or disengaged by movement of the sweeper toward or away from the container when resting on the ground. These attaching means together with a container are moved upwardly and inwardly by hydraulic or other suitable power means until the container reaches a desired sweepings-receiving position, at which point the container comes into engagement with suitable abutments which prevent its further movement and stabilize it for transportation with the sweeper until filled and ready to be returned to the ground.

Under different conditions the containers to be used with such sweepers may desirably vary considerably in size and capacity. For example, it may be desired for certain purposes to use three cubic yard containers of known types such as are commonly employed with transporting and dumping equipment of the type disclosed in the aforesaid patent. Hence the space on the sweeper that is to be occupied by the container should be of appropriate size and shape, and the aforesaid abutments should be properly located, to receive and to maintain such a relatively large container in a stable transporting and sweepings-receiving position. Also the design and operation of the hooks or other power operated attaching ice means on the sweeper must be such as to bring this relatively large container to the desired transporting position.

For other purposes, however, considerably smaller containers may be preferred, say half size or 1.5 cubic yard containers. For cooperation with the same hooks or other attaching means on the sweeper, some of the dimensions of such relatively small containers must obviously be substantially the same as the corresponding dimensions of the larger containers, but otherwise the size and shape of the smaller container is quite different. It follows that when moved by the same attaching means to the same final position thereof, such a small container will not engage the same stops or abutments that are provided for a large container but will be unstable, and also may not be properly located for the delivery of sweepings thereto.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved street sweeper of the type characterized above which is adapted to handle containers of varying sizes and capacities with equal stability in transporting position.

Another object is to provide containers of new and improved construction which are of relatively small capacity as described above but which are of proper shape and dimensions to be handled by the same street sweeping equipment and by the same transporting and dumping equipment as containers of relatively large size and capacity.

Still another object is to provide novel means whereby sweepings collected by the sweeper are properly delivered from the same discharge point into a small container as well as into a large container both being carried by the same means on the sweeper.

The use of such small containers creates a further problem in connection with the transportation and dumping of the filled containers. As noted above the relatively small containers are preferably capable of being transported and dumped individually by the same equipment that handles the large containers, but at the expense of making two or more trips to the dumping point instead of one, and of utilizing less than the designed capacityof the transporting and dumping rig. Hence it is a still further object of the present'invention to provide relatively small containers of the type characterized above which can be handled and filled individually by the sweeper, but which are of new and improved construction such that a number of them can be assembled in a group and transported and dumped as a unit. To this end use is preferably made of the invention disclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 2,606,675, granted August 12, 1952.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully in the following description. One embodiment of the invention has been shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that said drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of a sweeper embodying the invention, with a relatively small container in transporting position;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing a large containerin transporting position, parts of the sweeper shown in Fig. 1 having been omitted for clarity of illustration;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively plan and side views showing a number of small containers nested in a larger transporting and dumping receptacle; and

Fig. 5 illustrates the dumping of such a group of small containers.

Fig. 1 shows by way of example a sweeper of the type described in the aforesaid Dempster application which comprises a suitable chassis frame including side channels 1, said frame being supported in anysuitable manner (not shown) on two laterally spaced front wheels 2 and a single rear steering wheel 3 that is mounted in a rotatable frame 4 controlled by a steering wheel 5 in the drivers cockpit. The channels 1 are spaced apart at their front ends and the Wheels 2 rotate on stub axles to provide a space extending transversely between the frame members and wheels for the container which receives the sweepings, each side frame member 1 being supported on its associated front wheel axle in any suitable manner. The forward end of the sweeper is preferably enclosed in a housing which in the form shown comprises a hood 6 and side plates 7 extending downwardly from the edges of the hood to the frame members 1.

The sweeper is driven in any suitable manner, pref erably by an internal combustion engine housed in an engine compartment 8 behind the drivers cockpit. The drive from the engine to the wheels and other driven parts may be of any suitable type and is not illustrated in detail. As shown, a transverse drive shaft 9 rotates in suitable bearings mounted on the side frame members 1 and carries at each end a drive sprocket 13 for a drive chain 11 which runs around an idler sprocket 12 to one of the wheels 2.

The arrangement of the sweeping brushes and the details of mounting and driving the same also may be of any suitable type known to the art and hence need not be described in detail. In general, such sweepers may be provided with one or more relatively small side brushes 13 for cleaning gutters, which are arranged to throw sweepings into the path of a main transversely extending brush 14 rotating in a direction to throw the sweepings forwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the sweeper. In accordance with known practice, a forwardly and upwardly inclined flexible belt conveyor 15 may be employed to receive the sweepings from the main brush 14 and to carry them upwardly to an elevated discharge point above the container to be described hereinafter. The conveyor 15 may be driven in any suitable manner, its upper end having bearings 16 mounted on the side plates 7 of the sweeper housing, and its lower end having bearings 17 supported by side plates 18 which extend downwardly from the side frame members 1.

It will be understood that the details of construction thus far described are merely typical of known sweeper constructions, being set forth only by way of example of a sweeper suitable for the application of the present mvention.

The container space forwardly of the conveyor 15 and between the frame members 1 and the wheels 2 is thus free and unobstructed to receive a relatively large container for the sweepings discharged at the top of the conveyor. Preferably this space is partially enclosed by side plates 19 extending downwardly from the side channels 1 inside the wheels 2, the edges of these plates being flanged at 20 around the brake drums on the wheels. As described in the prior Dempster application, when the large container occupies its transporting and sweepings-recelving position in this space, the front wall of the container serves as a continuation of the sweeper hood 6 and the end walls of the container similarly serve as contmuations of the side walls 7 and 19 of the sweeper houslng. Fig. 2 (in which panel 19 and its flange Ztl have been omitted) shows by way of example a large contamer of the drop bottom type which comprises a generally rectangular body having end walls 21, a bottom 22 which is provided with strengthening rails 23 forming a support for the container when it is resting on the ground, and a front wall 24 having an inclined section 25 which forms a continuation of the sweeper hood 6 as mentioned above. The container also comprises a lower vertical rear wall 26, an upper inclined rear wall 27, and a top opening 28 which if desired may be provided with a lid. The bottom 22 of the container is hinged to the container body at 29 and its ends are provided with upright walls 30 of triangular shape, the end walls 21 of the container body being similarly cut away so'that when the container bottom is closed, one of the bottom end Walls 30 cooperates with one of the body end walls 21 to form the complete end wall of the container. Lifting pins having heads 31 and shanks 32 are mounted on the bottom end walls 30.

As will be understood from the aforementioned Patent No. 2,179,779, when the filled containers are to be dumped, they may be picked up by a transporting and dumping vehicle having lifting chains or like means which are attached to the lifting pins 32 for this purpose. The filled containers can thus be lifted onto the vehicle, transported to the desired dumping location, and there dumped in known manner.

The container lifting pin-s 32 also serve to lift the container to its transporting and sweepings-receiving position on the sweeper. For this purpose the sweeper is provided with cooperating lifting means preferably including attaching elements that are automatically engageable with or disengageable from the lifting pins on movement of the sweeper toward or away from the container when the container is resting on the ground. In the form shown, these attaching elements take the form of openfaced depending hooks 33 which can be moved to a height above the ground substantially equal to that of the lifting pins 32, but can also be elevated to the transporting position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When a container is resting on the ground, the operator of the sweeper drives it forwardly toward the rear wall of the container, the hooks 33 being spaced laterally by a distance somewhat greater than the width of the container so that they move forwardly along the container end walls into engagement with the lifting pins.

The lifting means on the sweeper are then actuated to elevate the hooks 33 and therewith the container to its transporting position. These lifting means are preferably actuated by hydraulic cylinders 34 one on each side of the sweeper, each cylinder being pivoted at 35 to a bracket 36 that is mounted on the side frame member 1 described above. Hydraulic pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinder through suitable supply lines, whereby a piston rod 37 can be either retracted into the cylinder or extended to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the container is lifted to its transporting position by suitable means actuated by the piston rod. In the form shown, a double-armed lever 38 is pivoted at 39 to the end of the side frame member 1, one arm of said lever being pivotally connected at 49 to the end of the piston rod 37, and the other arm of said lever being pivotally connected at 41 to the end of an arm 42 which hangs freely from this pivot and terminates in the book 33 adapted to engage the lifting pin 32. It will be understood, of course, that the same or equivalent lifting mechanism is provided on the other side of the sweeper. When the piston rods 37 are retracted, the levers 38 swing around their pivots 37 in a clockwise direction to lower the hooks 33 toward the ground, and the arms 42 are moved into engagement with the lifting pins 32- by driving the sweeper toward the container resting on the ground as described above. If desired, the arms 42 can be counterweighted as shown at 43 (shown only in Fig. 1) so that the hooks hang freely in positions that are well adapted for engagement with the lifting pins. The cylinders 34 are then operated to extend the piston rods 37 and swing the levers 38 on their pivots in the counterclockwise direction, thus lifting the arms 42 to bring the bights of the hooks 33 into engagement with the pins 32 and then lifting the container to the transporting position shown in Fig. 2.

By virtue of the arrangement of the parts, including the angular shape of the arms 42, the line between each lifting pin 32 and pivot 41 passes slightly to the left of the pivot 39 and the weight of the container thus acts through the hooks 33 and arms 42 on the levers 38 in a direction tending to swing said levers counterclockwise about their pivots 39. Thus the container tends to swing further to the left as seen in Fig. 2, but such further movement is prevented by suitable abutment means such as a vertical stop plate 44 forming the rear wall of the container space, and hence the weight of the container automatically holds it in the transporting position. Also the weight of the container tends to swing the levers 38 in a counterclockwise direction on their pivots 39 and to hold the piston rods 37 fully extended. Thus the container occupies a stable transporting and sweepings-receiving position on the sweeper.

When containers of smaller capacity than that shown in Fig. 2 are used, their dimensions transversely of the sweeper (i. e., their length) must be substantially the same as those of the large containers, in order to provide lifting pins properly located for cooperation with the lifting hooks 33. It follows that their dimensions longitudinally of the sweeper, and usually their depth as well, must be substantially less than the corresponding dimensions of the large containers and of the container space on the sweeper. Hence if such a small container were to be moved by the lifting means to the end of its stroke as described above and permitted to hang freely in the hooks 33, the container and arms 42 would be free to oscillate pendulum-like about the pivots 41. Such instability is highly undesirable in a piece of moving equipment such as the sweeper in question. Moreover, such movement of the container relative to the point of discharge of the sweepings from the conveyer 15 could at times prevent the intended deposit of the sweepings in the container.

Accordingly the present invention provides means for stabilizing such a small container in its transporting position at the end of the normal stroke of the lifting means described above, and also means for ensuring the deposit of the sweepings in the container. In effect, the position of the abutment means at the rear of the container space is made longitudinally variable or adjustable according to the longitudinal dimensions of the containers being used, so that when the levers 38 and arms 42 reach their final positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the abutment means is properly located to engage the container carried by the hooks, whatever its size, and to maintain such container in a stable position.

Also suitable guide plates or deflectors are provided sothat sweepings discharged bythe conveyor 15 are properly guided into a small container in its transporting position. Preferably these deflectors comprise lid mem bers hinged on the container and normally closing its top, but being swingable to upright positions to open the top of the container and also to bridge the gaps between the edges of the container opening and the adjacent parts of the sweeper.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in detail in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show a number of small containers of the type used in Fig. l nested in a larger transporting and dumping receptacle. As shown in these figures, the small container 45 is of rectangular box-like shape, its greatest dimension extending transversely of the sweeper between the side plates 19 of the container space. At both of these ends, the container 45 is provided with a suitable lifting pin 46 corresponding to the lifting pins 32 of the large container and having approximately the same spacing for cooperation with the lifting books 33 described above. While if desired this container may be of the drop bottom type for subsequent dumping, it is preferred to dump it by tilting it in'the plane of its length for reasons described hereinafter. Accordingly one end of the container 45 comprises a dumping gate or door 47 hinged at 48 adjacent the bottom of the container and normally held in closed position by retaining hooks 49 at its upper corners, this gate 47 carrying one of the lifting pins 46. The top of the container is normally closed by a pair of hinged lid members 50 and 51 preferably overlapping somewhat at the center line of the container as shown in Fig. 3. The lid member 50 is suitably hinged at 52 along one top edge of the container, and the lid member 51 is similarly hinged at 53 along the other top edge of the container, said lid members being preferably provided with suitable handles 54 and 55, respectively.

The operation of picking up a small container 45 from the ground and elevating it to its transporting position takes place in the same manner as above described in connection with the large container. Since the container is symmetrical and the lids 50, 51 are of about the same size, the sweeper can approach the container from either side. The transporting position is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which it will be seen that the rear wall of the small container is spaced considerably from the rear wall 44 of the container space. Suitable projections or extensions 56, however, extend forwardly from the wall 44 to a position such as to maintain the small container 45 in a stabilized transporting and sweepings-receiving position in the manner described above in connection with Fig. 2. These extensions 56 may be of any suitable type adapted for detachable and replaceable mounting on the wall 44, and their length will depend upon the size of the small container that is to be used. In the form shown, each projection 56 comprises a short length of pipe having one end extending through an opening in the wall 44 to the extent permitted by a fiange 57 on said pipe, the end of the pipe being threaded in a pipe coupling 58 secured to the other side of wall 44, the other end of the pipe having a head 59 serving as an abutment for the rear wall of the container.

As previously stated, moreover, the members 56 and 51 serve as guide plates or deflectors for the sweepings. As shown in Fig. 1, the lid member 51 has been swung to an upright position in which it extends rearwardly underneath the elevated point of discharge of the sweepings from the conveyor 15, thus forming an inclined deflector whereby said sweepings are guided into the open top of the small container 45. Similarly the lid member 50 has been swung upwardly to an inclined position in which its free edge is inside the lower front edge of the sweeper hood 6, being retained in this position by a suitable hook 60 engaging the handle 54. Thus the lid member 50 bridges the gap between the forward edge of the small'container 45 and the hood of the sweeper, forming in effect a continuous front sweeper wall.

For dumping purposes, such small containers preferably but not necessarily are adapted for handling as a group or unit in the manner disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,606,675. For this purpose each small container may be provided on its lower corners with caster wheels 61 or the like so that it can be moved easily by hand while on the ground, and a plurality of such small containers 45 are nested in parallel relation in a larger skip type container or receptacle 62. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear wall of this receptacle 62 is recessed at 63 and a suitable pivoted bail member 64 is normally housed in this recess, said bail being pivoted to the receptacle at a suitable point 65 near its bottom. The sides of the large receptacle are also provided with lifting pins 66 and deflectors 67.

It will be understood that as the small containers 45 are picked up and filled one by one by the sweeper, they are set down and left individually along the street in out-of-the-way places for subsequent collection. The collecting vehicle (preferably of the type of Patent No. 2,179,779 or No. 2,606,675) places the large receptacle 62 on the ground adjacent the filled small receptacle, which is then wheeled by hand into the large receptacle. The latter is then picked up by the transporting vehicle and carried on to successive filled containers where the operation is repeated until the large receptacle is filled with nested small containers. In order to make sure that the small wheeled containers 45 do not accidentally escape from the large receptacle during transportation and handling, suitable retaining means are provided which in the form shown comprise eyes 68 on the bot tom of each container 45 and retaining hooks 69 carried by a rock shaft 70 on the bottom of the large receptacie 62, said hooks swinging upwardly through slots 71 in the floor of the large receptacle to engage the eyes 68. The rock shaft 70 can be suitably operated by means of a handle 72 on one end of the receptacle which is locked in retaining position by a suitable latch member 73.

For dumping purposes, the large I ceptacle 62 is tilted about the bail pivot 65 in known manner to a position as shown in Fig. 5, and the latches 49 are released to allow the end gates 47 to open. The latches as can be released by hand, but preferably are released mechanically and simultaneously by a single operation. For example, each latch is pivoted on a bracket 74 and provided with a tailpiece 75, the aligned tailpieces being engaged by a common transversely extending rod 76. A suitable number of connecting rods 77 extend from the rod 76 to rock arms 78 on a rock shaft 79 which extends transversely across the receptacle. 49 are normally held closed by springs 39, but when the shaft 79 is rocked by means of its handle 81, the latches are lifted against the tension of their springs to release the dumping gates 47.

As shown in Fig. 5, the transporting and dumping vehicle is preferably of the type shown in Patent No. 2,179,779 or No. 2,606,675, comprising a pivoted boom structure 82 and lifting chains 83 which extend over the deflectors 67 and are fastened to the lifting pins 66 of the large receptacle. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the receptacle 62 with its load of three small containers 45 is lifted by the boom structure to the vehicle and carried away to the dumping point, meanwhile remaining approximately in the position shown in Fig. 4. For dumping purposes, however, the receptacle 62 is elevated by the boom 82 along a skid frame 84 until the bail 64 engages a hook (not shown) at the top of the frame. Then when the boom 82 is lowered, the receptacle 62 is supported by the bail but tilts about the bail pivot 65 to a position such as that shown in Fig. 5. Meanwhile the rock shaft 79 is operated to release the dumping gates 47 of the containers 45, these swinging downwardly to the position shown in Fig. and the contents of the containers being discharged as a unit.

The operation and use of the apparatus will be understood from the foregoing description, as well as by reference to the aforementioned prior Dempster and I ones applications. It will be seen that the invention makes possi ble the use of large or small containers interchangeably on the same sweeper, without change in the operation of the sweeper itself, and without substantial variation in the work required to transport and dump the filled containers. While being filled, small containers are carried by the sweeper with the same stability and security as large containers, without change in the sweeper mechanism other than the use of the proper adaptors 5-6, and deposit of sweepings in the small container is insured although the container may be very much smaller than the container space on the sweeper.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of other mechanical embodiments and also that various changes may be made in the form, details of construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from its spirit. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a street sweeper of the type comprising a vehicle The latches having street sweeping means and means for elevating the sweepings to and discharging them at an elevated point, the combination of a container having an opening to rcceive said discharged sweepings, lifting means on said container, attaching means on said vehicle adapted to engage and disengage said lifting means, power means on said vehicle for moving said attaching means and therewith the container suspended therefrom upwardly and inwardly toward said vehicle, and means for limiting swinging movement of the container at one of a plurality of stable transporting and sweepings-receiving positions comprising abutment means mounted on said vehicle along the path of said inward movement for engagement by the suspended container and including an outer abutment means removable from said path so that a suspended container of larger size can move into engagement with an inner abutment means, thereby providing stable transporting positions for containers of different sizes.

2. in a street sweeper of the type comprising a vehicle having street sweeping means and means for elevating the sweepings to and discharging them at an elevated point, the combination of a container having an opening to receive said discharged sweepings, lifting pins on said container, pivoted hook members depending from said vehicle in position to engage and disengage said pins on movement of said vehicle toward and away from said container when resting on the ground, power means on said vehicle for moving said hook members and therewith the container suspended therefrom upwardly and inwardly on said vehicle to a transporting and sweepings-receiving position, and abutment means mounted on said vehicle along the path of said inward movement for engagement by the suspended container at one of a plurality of transporting and sweepings-receiving positions, said abutment means including an outer abutment removable from said path and an inner abutment which provide outer and inner transporting and sweepings-receiving positions for containers of respectively smaller and larger sizes when suspended from said hooks in substantially the same position thereof.

3. A street sweeper as defined in claim 2, said inner abutment means being formed to mount detachable projections extending outwardly therefrom to limit inward movement of a relatively small container at an outer transporting position.

4.- A street sweeper as defined in claim 3, said detachable projections comprising members having threaded locking engagement with said abutment means.

5. A street sweeper as defined in claim 2, said smaller container having a pivoted lid swingable to an upright position bridging the gap between said discharge point and the top of said smaller container in its outer transporting position and directing the discharged sweepings into said container.

6. In a street sweeper of the type comprising a vehicle having sweeping means and means for elevating said sweepings and discharging them at an-elevated point into a container occupying a container space at one end of the vehicle, the combination of a detachable container extending transversely through said space and having lifting means on its ends, the dimension of said container longitudinally with respect to said vehicle being substantially less than the corresponding dimension of said space, attaching means on said vehicle adapted to engage and disengage said lifting means, and power means on said vehicle for moving said attaching means and therewith the container to a transporting and sweepings-receiving position below said elevated discharge point and substantially midway of said space in the longitudinal direction, said container having lid members hinged on transversely extending axes, one member being swingable to an upright position bridging the gap between said discharge point and the top inner edge of said container, the other member being swingable to an upright position closing the gap between the outer top edge of the container and the end 'of the vehicle body.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pennypacker June 14, 1881 Van Wagenen Mar. 21, 1893 5 Carpenter Feb. 25, 1896 Jene Apr. 2, 1901 Monette Mar. 26, 1907 Andrews Dec. 15, 1914 10 Dempster Nov. 14, 1939 Brooks Mar. 9, 1943 Hessert Aug. 1, 1950 Jones Aug. 12, 1952 Jones Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1903 

